Korean Energy Economic Review ISSN:1599-7057(Print) 에너지경제연구

Energy mix can be considered as a result from various selections in energy markets and also as an output of government energy policies. In this paper, we examine recent changes in global energy environment and discuss possible changes in Korea's energy mix and energy mix strategies and plans toward a better energy future in Korea. As energy mix issue is rather political instead of academic, this paper focuses more on policy implications. Since most of the energy supply sectors have been under the government control in Korea, and as most of the supply options were central government-invested big generation facilities and infrastructures, setting the energy mix in Korea is considered as setting the supply options by the central government. However, distributed resources such as renewable energy and small reactor and small gas turbine changes this situation toward to consumers. Technology options suggested by climate change mitigation policy should be included in the energy mix strategy. And high fossil fuel price and suggestions of possible connections with Russia and North Korea asks us to focus more on inter-regional connections into Korea's energy mix. This paper suggests two focal points to be included in the future process of energy mix strategy; to diversify objectives of energy mix strategy, and to move toward distributed, regional and technology- oriented energy mix strategies.